Verride Palácio Santa Catarina

The place

An eighteenth-century palace in Lisbon's Old Town, near Bairro Alto. The ivory facade was left as found; inside, marble columns and a spiral staircase share the floor with sleek, minimal furniture.

Eighteen rooms and suites, in ivory, blue, and wood. The Royal Suites kept the building's original hand — sculpted wooden ceilings, extravagant stucco work, hand-painted silk wallpapers.

Up top, a rooftop pool looks over the city to the ocean, with a scenic bar beside it for a slow drink or a light bite. At Suba, chef Fábio Alves gives Portuguese and Mediterranean cooking a contemporary turn.